Sunday Post #40: WTH?

The Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer and it’s a chance to showcase new books and re-cap your week of blogging.

Last week I was out of town at my parent’s house in Cleveland so I didn’t get around to visit anybody’s awesome Sunday post but I will today! Look out, here I come!

*climbs on soap box*

WTH?

Why do bloggers or reviewers think it’s okay to plagiarize other people’s reviews?

I don’t know all the details in this latest case but it serves as a huge reminder to me (and YOU) to use the tools available to us to check our work for plagiarism.

One of THE best posts I’ve ever seen done on plagiarism (IMHO) was done by Wendy at The Midnight Garden. Besides giving a great explanation of the problem, she shares her own experience and gives you links to websites to learn more or to see if your own work has been stolen.

I tried to find the newest articles on plagiarism checker software or how to basically check for it. Here’s what I found:Aishwarya at Techlila lists 10 sites for checking blog content and Jasmine at BloggersPassion goes into a little bit more detail when she lists her 10 free plagiarism checker websites.

See what I did there? I gave them credit for their work and linked to their sites. I didn’t even bother to take their work, I just linked to them to send traffic their way. Why re-write their work and call it my own when I can just link to them and call it a day?

As a blogger myself going on my third blogoversary this November, I’ve seen blogs come and go but this one hurts a little. Rachel at Fiktshun is calling it quits after almost four years. I’ve been following Rachel ever since I knew about blogs and she’s been an inspiration. I love her taste in books, design style, her work ethic, her content creativity, and her overall sassiness. She’s winding down everything right now. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery… NOPE, not always. I’m so sorry, Rachel…

I’m really excited about the opportunity to read and review The Bloodbound by Erin Lindsey – Thank you so much Berkley/NAL! And you KNOW how I love Cecy Robson’s writing so it’s a slam dunk I’d read and review her new NA contemporary romance, Once Perfect – Thank you, Penguin Random House!

I can’t tell you how long I waited for Thomas Nelson / HarperCollins to approve my request for Storm Siren but it was weeks. I’m so freakin’ excited to get started on it – Thank You!!! And I picked up Anything He Wants & Castaway (that’s how it’s listed in Edelweiss) by Sara Fawkes because 1. I loved Sara Fawkes’ Breathe Into Me, 2. I have a thing for petulant, rich, sex gods (I’m sad, I know), and 3. the guy on the cover looks likes Jamie Dornan (see #2) – Thank you, St. Martin’s Griffin!!

Thank you HarperTeen, Orion, and St. Martin’s Griffin! As you can tell, I’m going back and getting caught up on books I marked that I wanted to review but never downloaded; sort of catching up. There’s still some titles I want but I’m waiting to download them… No reason in particular, just waiting 🙂

About Kristin

Kristin has to ensure she gets her minimal requirement of "happily ever after" books in between those books that contain cliffhangers and never-ending story arcs. It's for her family's sake. When not reading, she's homeshooling her 10-year old son, watching cartoons on TV, or taking a nap.

Yeah, I think this makes it twice on plagiarizing her reviews and last year it was stealing her artwork. She just isn’t lucky or she’s too popular, one or the other. When I was doing research, I was blown away by all the newbies or kids under 18 just stealing lines from multiple review sites. Ewwwwww… I get the squeemies just thinking about it.

No probs – I loved Wendy’s post when I saw it months ago – she’s another blogger with major history/problems from the past, too. You wouldn’t believe the crap she’s been through! It’s sad what happens when you put yourself out there… I can’t imagine what happens when you’re an author!!!

Rachel is leaving..bummer and I miss all of this drama. I cannot understand plagiarist. What is the point. I never check mine against anyone but I also don’t read other reviews until after mine has published. As I told Cyn, I have no idea what Red Queen is about but I want it solely for the cover *grabs it and runs*kimbacaffeinate recently posted…Sunday Post #119 Hello August!

I saw everyone grabbing Red Queen, too and thought, “hmmm, must be something there…” The way Edelweiss sells it, it was a sought after title and it’s got tons of intrigue. Latent magic powers, so cool!!!

I totally missed the drama, too! I check out Rachel’s TBR Pile posts and she eluded to the mess so I investigated…. I think you, of all the peeps, with your exposure, might want to check a few of your posts. At the very least, maybe set up Google Alerts – whatever the heck that is 🙁

I saw Rachel’s post and it upset me. She is such an original, honest and forthright blogger that it hate that someone has made her feel this way.Trish recently posted…The Sunday Post : Get your Bookish News

That’s a shame about Rachel. I don’t check my reviews for plagiarism but like Kimba, I also don’t read any other reviews until after I’ve posted mine. Why people feel the need to copy others work is beyond me.
Nice book haul this week, Play looks awesome.
Have a great week.Sharon @ Sharon’s Book Nook!Sharon recently posted…Weekly Wrap Up – 3 August 2014

I think it’s that you should take time and check some of your reviews AFTER you’ve posted them. See if someone is stealing your thoughts. I totally believe that if you’re not reading reviews before you write your post, you’re golden. There are only so many original thoughts that can be generated about one book. There will be some overlap. BUT a string of words, adjectives, adverbs, what have you that are the same – that’s flat out stealing.

Feel bad Rachel is leaving, she was one of the first blogs I followed. I know she took a break from blogging for a while but when it become to stressful and no longer fun I totally understand her leaving. She will be missed.

I got Storm Siren from BEA and I have been DYING to read it. If you get to it before me I look forward to seeing what you think 🙂

I steer clear of the drama when it comes to blogging. But I feel it is awful to take others hard work for your own. I’m not sure if anyone would really want to plagiarize my reviews, I ramble and don’t always make sentences that make sense. Just think, I write the same way I talk. My husband will tell you that in mid sentence I will change the subject and it is like whiplash sometimes. lol… Enjoy the new books. Red Queen is one that I have stalking for. 😉

My hubs tells me I do that, too!!!!! And I’m pretty positive I CAN’T be plagiarized b/c my tone is conversational. What could the offender do with my words? But I should probably listen to myself and check, for shits and giggles, ya know…

We ALL should! *nudge, nudge*

BTW – I AM SO freakin’ sorry it took me forever to send that book to you!!!! It literally sat in the envelope on my counter for a month! If I have any more you’d like, let me know 😉 Check my Baker & Taylor physical piles from my Sunday Posts 😀

I totally put off grabbing those two books but then I just couldn’t help myself. I think the hype totally gets to me. I am so easily pulled in by what everybody is downloading, it’s entirely pathetic 🙁

I don’t know why Kimba’s being all wishy washy about Red Queen – it’s so up her alley! But that cover is to die for, no?????? I think it’ll easily be one of the best of the year. Did you see that it’s already optioned for a movie? The author is a screenwriter so it has that going for it… we’ll see how the book is first though, won’t we? *insert evil cackle here*

You got some great books this week! I don’t really worry too much about plagiarism in my posts because my reviews are written pretty much the way I talk and are basically all my opinion. It is too bad that it’s an issue.Katherine recently posted…This Week in Reading – August 3rd

Those are some great resources for checking for Plagiarism. Though one time Ashley from Nose Graze says that book bloggers might have a harder time finding it because a lot of us add in the book description from goodreads and everyone’s matches. So the sites automatically see that as plagiarism. Sigh… It’s just too bad it happens at all.Angie recently posted…Book Club August Picks

Oooo, I never thought of that about the book synopsis. Ugh, there’s no way around that unless there’s a copy paste feature or if you can only include sections. I’m curious how everyone finds their plagiarists – I’ll have to look into that more… Thanks!

I try so hard not to look at reviews of books that I’m going to be reviewing, so that way I don’t get accused of this. Plagarism sucks. I was sad to see that Rachel of Fiktshun calling it quits. I really have loved this woman creativity and sassiness at her blog. The blogosphere loses a great talent because others are too lazy to write their own reviews. I got Once Perfect as well. Thanks for visiting me earlier.

Another plagiarism scandal? Jeez how annoying. That is too bad about Fiktshun, tho I wasn’t a follower I had heard of her. You make it sound like there was some scandal that caused her to give up blogging.Tabitha (Not Yet Read) recently posted…Review: Mortal Danger by Ann Aguirre

Wow. It sucks plagiarism is such a problem. 🙁 Especially with reviews, I mean, those are someone’s personal thoughts. Why plagiarize them? That’s awful.

Storm Siren has such a gorgeous cover. Red Queen has an interesting cover as well, that’s the third time today I’ve seen that book in someone’s post. I think it’s a sign to check it out. 🙂 Illusions of Fate sounds good too. So many books, so little money. 🙁

I haven’t bought any books since last Saturday, it really sucks because BookOutlet is having sales on YA Fiction, and I’ve kind of gone over my book buying limit until next month. *sighs*

Have fun with Play because it’s such a great, great, great book and I absolutely loved Mal ! Loved it so much I read Lead last week (and loved it too though it was different). Enjoy !Red Iza recently posted…Sunday post #21

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I review books. I'm not paid for my reviews in any way, shape or form. I do get books for free in exchange for my reviews but no one wants to pay me for my opinion, I'm not that important. And my opinion won't be influenced, no matter how much Prozac I take. Besides, a lot of the books I review I buy... with my husband's hard earned money.

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